Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
01/30/2017
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. In case of inclement weather, call UMass Lowell’s weather hotline at 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, events are canceled. For more news about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- Whether President Trump’s executive order on immigration violates the Constitution;
- Super Bowl commercials – the marketing strategies behind them, why they are so valuable and what they are trying to accomplish;
- Predictions for when spring weather will arrive, from Groundhog Day calls by Punxsutawney Phil and Massachusetts’ Ms. G to forecasts by human meteorologists.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
MLK Dinner Honors University, Community Leaders
Expert to Present on Innovative Treatments for Diseases
Scientist Looking to Put Humans on Mars to Kick Off Making WAVES Project
Poe’s Literary Impact on Portuguese Culture is the Topic of Lecture
Priceless Books, Acclaimed Memoir They Inspired Are Centerpiece of Event
MLK MLK Dinner Honors University, Community Leaders
When: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 6:45 p.m.
What: Members of the university community and the public who exemplify the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to social justice will be recognized with Distinguished Service Awards at UMass Lowell’s annual MLK Celebration Dinner. The theme for the program is “the fierce urgency of now,” a term coined by King at the 1963 March on Washington, which drew more than 200,000 people and helped galvanize public opinion in favor of pushing Congress to protect civil and economic rights. Artwork and essays by Lowell public schoolchildren that illustrate this theme will also be honored during the free event, which is organized by the university’s Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Where: University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
KennedyExpert to Present on Innovative Treatments for Diseases
When: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 3 p.m.
What: The UMass Lowell Kennedy College of Sciences’ new Distinguished Lecture Series will begin with “Real World Medicine and Real World Patients: Critical Understanding for Translational and Precision Medicine.” Featuring Michael Liebman, an expert on how to develop more effective medications to combat disease, the presentation will explore the risk factors and progression of illnesses as a way to improve diagnoses, treatment and patient care. Liebman is managing director of IPQ Analytics LLC and Strategic Medicine Inc. The event is free and open to the campus and community. The event is free and open to the public.
Where: Alumni Hall, North Campus, 84 University Ave., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
WAVESScientist Looking to Put Humans on Mars to Kick Off Making WAVES Project
When: Thursday, Feb. 2, 3 to 6 p.m.
What: Pamela Conrad – an astrobiologist who studies whether humans can live on Mars and other planets – will talk about her work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center at an event kicking off UMass Lowell’s Making Women Academics Valued and Engaged (WAVES) in STEM Project. Conrad is a lead investigator on a NASA mission that landed a rover on the red planet in 2012. Research on how to promote diversity and inclusion will also be presented by UMass Lowell faculty and staff at the event and speakers are also expected to include Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. The Making WAVES initiative seeks to remove barriers that face women faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields across higher education and help all such institutions create an environment that supports women faculty, as well as those from other underrepresented populations, in achieving their highest potential. The project is supported by a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
Where: Alumni Hall, North Campus, 84 University Ave., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
PoePoe’s Literary Impact on Portuguese Culture is the Topic of Lecture
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 12:30 p.m.
What: American author Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on 20th century Portuguese culture will be explored at a free event for the campus and community. Leading the program “Around Reason, Feeling” will be University of Lisbon Prof. Margarida Dale de Gato, whose work includes editing an anthology of Poe’s work transcribed into Portuguese. The event is organized by the Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research and the Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities, both of which are based at UMass Lowell.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 478, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
KaagPriceless Books, Acclaimed Memoir They Inspired Are Centerpiece of Event
When: Thursday, Feb. 9, 4 to 6 p.m.
What: A cache of priceless books, the memoir they inspired and how they transformed UMass Lowell Philosophy Prof. John Kaag’s life will be the centerpiece of a free event for the public and university community. Winning raves from the New York Times, National Public Radio and others, Kaag’s “American Philosophy: A Love Story” recounts his discovery of the Hocking Collection – works penned by history’s greatest philosophers – and how his efforts led to UMass Lowell becoming the permanent home to more than 100 of the texts. The program will include a reading and book-signing by Kaag, a discussion of the extraordinary volumes in the Hocking Collection and a chance to see some of them, a question-and-answer session and reception.
Where: Allen House, South Campus, 2 Solomont Ave., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu